Day three at WTA Berlin sees the round of 16 underway at the Steffi Graf Stadium with plenty of entertainment on the cards heading into day three. A number of star names are in action with the Wimbledon countdown well and truly on and, as always, we here at LWOT will be offering our predictions for every match on the slate. But who will book their spot in the next round?
WTA Berlin Day 3 Predictions
Coco Gauff vs Paula Badosa
Head-to-head: Badosa 4-3 Gauff
Paula Badosa made light work of Suzan Lamens in the previous round, rolling to a 6-3 6-2 win to book what promises to be an entertaining last-16 clash with Coco Gauff. The Spaniard was crisp and controlled throughout, giving the Dutchwoman no foothold as she marched into the second week.
The stats say this rivalry is closer than the seedings suggest. Badosa actually leads the head-to-head 4-3 and handed Gauff a defeat at the 2025 Australian Open, but the world #142 arrives here as the clear underdog, her ranking a stark reflection of the injury battles that have chipped away at her game over the past two years. Grass is also uncharted territory for these two, adding another layer of intrigue. If Badosa’s serve fires, she has the weapons to trouble anyone.
Prediction: Badosa in 3
Jessica Pegula vs Katerina Siniakova
Head-to-head: Pegula 5-1 Siniakova
After a first-round exit at Roland Garros, Jessica Pegula arrives on the grass at WTA Berlin with a point to prove, and this looks like the perfect fixture to rediscover her rhythm. The third seed holds a commanding 5-1 head-to-head over Katerina Siniaková, with two consecutive wins on grass, including a three-set battle at this very tournament two years ago. Momentum and match history both point firmly in Pegula’s direction.
Siniaková gave herself every chance with a composed 6-2 6-4 dismantling of Rebeka Masarova, and the Czech No. 34 will be no pushover on a surface that suits her all-court game. But the real question here isn’t the winner; it’s the margin. Can Siniaková steal a set before Pegula finds her range? If the American clicks into gear early, this could be straightforward.
Prediction: Pegula in 2
Elise Mertens vs Nikola Bartunkova
Head-to-head: Mertens 1-0 Bartunkova
Nikola Bartunkova is riding a wave after stunning ninth seed Diana Shnaider, a result that announced the 20-year-old Czech as one to watch on grass. But her next assignment at WTA Berlin is a significant step up. Elise Mertens is in the kind of form that makes opponents nervous, having dismantled Liudmila Samsonova after a slow start and a comeback that showed exactly why the Belgian veteran remains dangerous on any surface.
The head-to-head tells its own story. Mertens bagelled Bartunkova in their only previous meeting at the Australian Open earlier this year, winning 6-0 6-4 with something to spare. The Czech’s confidence is high, and she won’t fold easily, but Mertens’ experience, reading of the game, and momentum from that Samsonova demolition make her the clear favourite to advance here.
Prediction: Mertens in 2
Donna Vekic vs Alexandra Eala
Head-to-head: Eala 1-0 Vekic
Alexandra Eala arrives in Berlin chasing history. The Filipina sensation leads the head-to-head record over Donna Vekic, with both wins coming on hard courts earlier this year, and a third straight victory would announce her arrival on the grass-court circuit in emphatic fashion.
Vekic, however, is no soft touch. The Croatian comes in riding the high of a stunning title run at Queen’s, though that triumph may have taken something out of her legs. Eala will fancy her chances in a potential three-setter, but Vekic’s grass-court pedigree and big-match experience make this far from a foregone conclusion, especially with Wimbledon on the horizon.
Prediction: Vekic in 3
Aryna Sabalenka vs Ekaterina Alexandrova
Head-to-head: Sabalenka 4-3 Alexandrova
Aryna Sabalenka arrives in Nottingham with the bitter taste of Roland-Garros still lingering, a commanding quarter-final lead squandered in the kind of collapse that haunts champions. Grass is a clean slate, and Sabalenka will be desperate to remind everyone, including herself, what she is capable of.
Standing in her way is Ekaterina Alexandrova, whose 4-3 head-to-head record against the Belarusian looks impressive on paper, until you account for when most of those wins came. Sabalenka is a different animal now, and Alexandrova arrives here short of form after a first-round opponent handed her a walkover. Expect the top seed to handle this one with ruthless efficiency and get her grass-court reset off to the perfect start.
Prediction: Sabalenka in 2
Main photo credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images
